Judge assigns public defender to Leesburg man over competency question

Tuesday

May 9, 2017 at 1:13 PMMay 9, 2017 at 1:13 PM

Katie Pohlman @Katie_Pohlman

OCALA — A Leesburg man who was arrested in Marion County after a bomb was recovered from a stolen vehicle he crashed was assigned a public defender Tuesday despite his request to represent himself.

According to the Ocala Star-Banner, Trey Turner, 25, was arrested April 9 and charged with making or attempting to make a destructive device, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, driving with a suspended license and possession of alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax). He appeared in court Tuesday for his arraignment.

Marion County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chris Rekully reported that a small silver car driven by Turner ran a stop sign April 8 at the intersection of County Road 314 and County Road 314A. The car suddenly braked as it passed the deputy's vehicle, which caused the tires to squeal, according to the police report. The car continued driving in a reckless manner after the deputy tried to stop it.

Eventually, Turner lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The car rolled onto its roof in the 13400 block of CR 314. As the officer was asking Turner if he was OK, he saw what appeared to be a pipe bomb in the car. Turner confirmed it was a bomb and told the deputy the car was filled with C4 explosives, according to the report.

"You asked me to take an oath of truthfulness to my God, but my God does not judge," Turner read off a piece of yellow notebook paper. He asked Tatti if he was assuming the role of God and requested to be removed from "these man-made bindings" - referring to his Marion County Jail red and white striped uniform and handcuffs.

Turner told Tatti he wished to represent himself and had done so before. After hearing his charges read aloud, Turner also stated he wished to enter a plea of no contest, which would have him sentenced without a trial.

"Why would you want to, prior to seeing any police report or anything in your case?" Tatti asked.

Turner said he believed a jury would find him guilty because of the uniform he was wearing. Tatti told him he would not be wearing the uniform during the trial.

Turner said his prior convictions would cause a jury to convict him. Tatti told him that would not be mentioned at trial.

A representative of the Public Defender's Office asked Tatti to appoint the office so they could perform a mental health exam on Turner.

Tatti agreed, entered a plea of not guilty and appointed the Public Defender's Office despite Turner's vocal objections that he had entered a plea of no contest.

Before being dismissed from the courtroom, Turner began to read a prepared statement from the same yellow piece of paper. He read the statement too fast for it to be comprehensible, but Tatti said what Turner was talking about did not apply to his case or the court.

Turner was ushered out of the courtroom immediately after he was dismissed. He remains incarcerated at the Marion County Jail, with a $6,500 bond.

On April 11 at the jail, Turner told a Star-Banner reporter that the bomb in the car was made by the CIA and was given to him as he is an independent contractor for the agency. He told the arresting deputy that the KGB sent him to "take out the world."

Turner also is wanted by the Leesburg Police Department for carjacking and aggravated battery on a person over 65 from an incident that occurred the same weekend as his arrest. An LPD official said it was alleged that Turner forcibly took the victim's keys and vehicle by biting the person on the body.

Turner's next court date in Ocala is scheduled for July 19, in front of 5th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Willard Pope.